President: Biggest Question about AI Not Technical, But Educational

       Bratislava, 24 November (TASR) - The biggest issue surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) isn't technical, but educational, and if we manage to set education properly, we won't fear smart machines, because we'll raise smarter people, stated President Peter Pellegrini in his speech at the BratislavAI Forum during the opening of a high-level AI summit at Bratislava Castle on Monday.
        The event is being attended by leaders of governments, global institutions, technology companies and experts. They are launching a joint dialogue on the future of AI in education.
        "Artificial intelligence began with education and the courage to learn. Now education must guide what artificial intelligence will become," said the Slovak head of state, adding that he considers it necessary to teach AI literacy so that people will know where artificial intelligence is strong, where it fails, and also how to verify its claims. He agrees that it should become an assistant to teachers. However, according to him, human teachers must remain curators of meaning, helping young people ask questions, compare sources, uncover weak arguments and respectfully disagree.
        Pellegrini pointed out that if satellite navigation has caused many people to forget how to read a map, generative AI may help them forget how to navigate reality. He also mentioned that social networks often present relative truths: short videos, quick shots, emotional swings, which are increasingly being shaped by AI. "It's easy to live only on the surface of problems. Our schools must encourage students to dig beneath the surface," he emphasised in his address.
        According to the president, the future of the world won't be determined by the speed of algorithms, but by the nature of people's decisions. If moral purpose is combined with effective public administration and bold education, and if small players such as Slovakia are trusted to pilot bold ideas, artificial intelligence won't make us less human; quite the opposite, he stated.
        The head of state also pointed out that AI isn't an abstract concept, but a reality that is entering homes, hospitals and schools, and it must remain at the service of human dignity. According to him, it's precisely the absence of ethics that poses the greatest risk in technological development. "Without it, we risk slipping into a world in which privacy is quietly disappearing, where old prejudices are returning disguised as neutral facts, and where machines are beginning to make decisions that belong to humans," he added.
        The BratislavAI Forum 2025 is bringing together top representatives of major international organisations, including the UN, UNESCO, OECD and EU, along with representatives of education ministries from more than 30 countries around the world. The summit consists of three parts: a meeting of education ministers to discuss the future of AI in education, a high-level summit on AI, and an OECD Global Forum on the Future of Education and Skills.